Colorado's Food Bank of the Rockies opens new distribution center to help serve more people
The statistics are alarming -- according to the Food Bank of the Rockies, one in eight people in Colorado doesn't have access to enough food, including one in seven children. Now the nonprofit has opened a new 270,000-square-foot distribution center in Aurora to help serve more of those in need.
For some people, like Nichole Maynard, her home changed after her mother died last year.
"We needed food help, especially around Thanksgiving," said Maynard. "Because I make just enough to not qualify for food assistance, it kind of makes it a lot more difficult."
Lately, she says she has found many programs that only prioritize people with SNAP benefits. Food Bank of the Rockies said it tries to look at the bigger picture.
"You don't want to worry about whether your kid is getting enough food to eat this week? Is everything going to be okay?" said Maynard.
The new distribution center will help expand the growing need. Right now, the nonprofit serves more than 400,000 people every year.
"This gives us a lot of potential to serve those people more efficiently and grow the capacity," said Food Bank of the Rockies CEO Erin Pulling.
The new distribution center has more than double the cold food storage space, quadruples its kitchen space and triples volunteer opportunities. The new center will also save about $500,000 on operating costs by consolidating Denver metro area operations under one roof.
"We are working to close the gap and serve more people because of the federal reductions in SNAP or food stamp benefits. So we're seeing a higher need right now than we have ever seen before," said Pulling.
Something Maynard said is needed because life can change at any moment, "As hard as this is to say, you never know when it is going to be you that needs that help, this week, this month, even just a day or an hour."
The facility is located at 20600 E. 38th Ave. in Aurora and replaces a space that Food Bank of the Rockies outgrew after 19 years.